Rotary gas engine



Nov. 13, 1934. c. G. MCDONALD ROTARY GAS ENGINE 7 Filed Sept. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR W ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1934. c. G. MCDONALD 1,980,924

ROTARY GAS ENGINE Filed Sept. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 6'. 6. M 170mm,

INVENTOR Nov. 13, 1934- c. G. MCDONALD ROTARY GAS ENGINE Filed Sept- 9. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 dun/1M2 Patented Nov. 1 3, 1934 UNITE STATE ear oFFIcE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines wherein the cylinders are adapted to rotate about a fixed crank shaft with the pistons thereof connected to said crank shaft and has for the primary object, the provision of the cylinders and pistons arranged in opposed relation and so constructed that they cooperate in providing an engine of the two-cycle type'and which will be simple, durable, compact and economical in operation and capable of producing maximum power with a minimum consumption of fuel.

With this and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral -1 indicates a supporting structure having bearings or journals 2 for rotatably supporting trunnions 3 secured to opposed cylinders 4 and 5. The trunnions 3 carry bearings 6 in which are'received a non-rotatable crank shaft '7 and which is fixed 3.51130 the supporting structure 1 by a key or pin 8. The adjacent ends of the cylinders 4 and 5 form a crank case 9 in which is located the crank 10 of the crank shaft '7 and said crank shaft is provided with a passage 11 communicating with 'flithe crank case 9 by a port 12 and with an intake manifold 13 adapted for connection with a suitable carburetor.

Pistons l4 and 15 are mounted within the cylinders 4 and 5 and a connecting rod 16 is con- "15"nected to the piston 15 and is provided with a detachable bearing 17 connecting the crank 10 of the crank shaft and has pivoted thereto a connecting rod 18 which is in turn connected to the piston 14.

The cylinders 4 and 5 have explosion chambers 19 and 20 and also fuel compression chambers 21 and 22, respectively. By referring to Figure 2 it will be noted that the fuel compression chambers 21 and 22 are of a diameter larger than the diameter of the explosion chambers 19 and 20 and the pistons 14 and 15 each includes a body 23 with an annular head 24 formed on one end. The heads 24 operate in the fuel compression chambers while the bodies 23 operate in the explosion chambers and also extend into the fuel compression cham- 6i) bers during certain positions of the pistons relative to the cylinders. The bodies and heads 23 and 24 of'the pistons are provided with e'xpansio rings as clearly shown in Figure 2. I

The explosion chambers 19 and 20 are provided with exhaust passages 25 opening outwardly to the atmosphere and said passages are located in the cylinders outwardly of the compression chambers 21 and 22. Intake passages 26 and 27 are formed in the walls of the cylinders 4 and 5 and each has one end in communication with a fuel compression chamber while the opposite end is in communication with an explosion chamber so that fuel compressed within the compression chamber I will be delivered to the explosion chamber located in the opposite cylinder to said compression chamber. Intake valves 28 and 29 are located in the passages 26 and 27 and have communication with the crank case Sand each is of the spring pressed v type adapted to be opened by the suction created within the compression chambers and adapted to move into setting position when the suction is eliminated and when in the latter named position are adapted to permit free passage of fuel through the passages 27 and 26 from their respective compression chambers to the explosion chambers. The explosion chambers are provided with spark plugs 30 and the end of each piston is provided with a deflector 31 for the purpose of deflecting the incoming fuel to the explosion chambers upwardly within said chambers for the purpose of driving out or scavenging the burnt gases of said chambers.

The cylinders are provided with relatively spaced annular fins or flanges 32 for aiding in cooling the cylinders during their rotation about the fixed crank shaft consequently providing a very efficient means of maintaining the engine in a properly cooled or normal running condition and obviates the employment of water jackets and circulating pumps and other parts of the conventional type of cooling system.

One of the trunnions 3 has secured thereto a power take off medium 33.

As shown in Figure 2 the piston 14 is in its outermost position within the cylinder 4 while the piston 15 is in its innermost position within the cylinder 5. The piston 14 positioned as above mentioned has compressed a charge of fuel and is in the act of exploding the same for driving 110 the piston 14' inwardly. The piston 14 when in the stated position has forced the fuel within the chamber 21 into the explosion chamber 20 and the piston 15 has drawn fuel into the chamber 22 from the carburetor by way of the manifold 13, passage 11, port 12, crank case 9 and the fuel passage 2'7. As the piston 14 moves inwardly under the force of the expanding gases which have just been ignited moves thevpiston 15 in an outward direction within the cylinder compressing the fuel within the explosion chamber 20. The pistons moving outwardly forces the fuel within the chamber 22 into the explosion chame ber 19 while the piston 14 has by this time unprovided wherein the cylinders. and pistons are,

oppositely disposed and rotate about a fixed crank shaft thus. providing an engine capable of" producing maximum power with a minimum consumption of fuel and also due. to the rotation of the cylinders provides a very. efficient cooling me-.

dium for the engine. I While I haveshown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed. I

Having thus'described my invention, what I claim is:

A rotary engine comprising a supporting structure, a single cylinder journaled intermediate its ends to said structure and having two diameters, opposed pistons slidable in said cylinder and each having a pair of diameters corresponding tovthe diameters of the cylinder and forming in the latter pairs of explosion and compression chambers separated by said pistons, and an intermediate fuel, chamber located between the opposing ends of the pistons, a crank shaft journaled to the cylinder and fixed to said supporting struc ture and having a passage to admit fuel to said fuel chamber, means connecting the crank shaft to. said pistons, said, explosion chambers having exhaust ports, said cylinder having. in opposite walls thereof intake fuel passages connecting the. explosion chambers, with, the compresison cha mbers arrangedat opposite. sides, of the: intermediate fuel chamber from. the. respective explosion chambers, self+seating valves, between the; intake fuel passages. and the intermediate, fuel chamber--, and. ignition means for the explosion chambers...

CHARLES G. MCDONALD; 

